Stainless-steel drum container

ABSTRACT

In a stainless-steel drum container ( 1 ) for the transport, storage and keeping-ready of liquids, in particular of liquid chemicals, having a cylindrical container body ( 2 ), which has a lid ( 3 ), a base ( 4 ) and a container opening ( 6 ), a gas supply opening ( 8 ) and a liquid removal opening ( 9 ) are arranged on the container body ( 2 ) at a distance from the container opening ( 6 ) and at a distance from one another. The gas supply opening ( 8 ) and the liquid removal opening ( 9 ) are each arranged in the lid ( 3 ). The gas supply opening ( 8 ) has a filling valve ( 10 ) and the liquid removal opening ( 9 ) has a removal valve ( 11 ). The filling valve ( 10 ) and the removal valve ( 11 ) are essentially of the same design. The filling valve ( 10 ) or the removal valve ( 11 ) has a coupling device ( 13, 14 ), which opens the filling valve ( 10 ) or the removal valve ( 11 ) when the filling valve ( 10 ) or the removal valve ( 11 ) respectively is connected to an associated connection line. The drum container ( 1 ) has an annular lid frame ( 18 ) which projects beyond the filling valve ( 10 ) and the removal valve ( 11 ). The container opening ( 6 ) of the drum container ( 1 ) can be sealed by means of a lead seal.

The invention relates to a stainless-steel drum container for thetransport, storage and keeping-ready of liquids, in particular ofchemicals, having a cylindrical container body, which has a lid and abase, and having a container opening arranged centrally in the lid,where the drum container has an annular lid frame which projects beyondthe container opening.

Stainless-steel drums are used, for example, in the area of catering forthe filling and germ-free storage of drinks. The re-usable drumcontainers, which are also called kegs, have a cylindrical containerbody, in the lid of which a sealable container opening is located. Thecontainer body can be filled with a drink, for example with beer, viathe container opening. The container opening is subsequently sealed, andthe drum container is transported to the location at which the drink isto be stored or kept ready for removal thereof from the drum container.

For the removal of the drink, the container opening is re-opened, and atapping valve is placed on the container opening. A suitable propellantgas, such as, for example, carbon dioxide or nitrogen, can be forcedinto the container via the tapping valve. If the tapping valve of thepressurised container body is opened, the drink is forced out of thecontainer body via the tapping valve.

Stainless-steel drum containers of this type are used not only in thearea of catering for the storage and transport of drinks, but also inthe area of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry for the transport,storage and keeping-ready of chemicals and liquid substances. Themanufacturer or supplier of the liquid chemicals fills the drumcontainer via the container opening, which is subsequently sealed. Thefilled drum container is transported by the manufacturer or supplier tothe consumer and stored there. In order to be able to remove the liquidchemical from the drum container, the consumer opens the containeropening and places a likewise re-usable multifunction adapter on theopened container opening, by means of which simultaneously propellantgas can be supplied and the pressurised chemical can be removed from thecontainer body. The valves necessary for this purpose are integrated inthe multifunction adapter, as is a dip tube and optionally furthercomponents.

Drum containers of this type have developed into a wide-spread standardand are offered by various companies and used by numerous predominantlycommercial consumers. In most cases, devices for the storage of the drumcontainers and the removal of the contents which are matchedspecifically to the drum containers are kept ready on the consumer sideand provided for use.

Drum containers of this type for chemicals which are known from practicecan be re-filled a number of times and re-used. Cleaning of drumcontainers of this type is possible inexpensively and reliably. Theshape of the container body can be matched to different volumes andpressure conditions during the removal of the liquid stored therein. Thecontainer opening arranged centrally in the lid of the container body isnormally designed to be sufficiently large to facilitate simple andrapid filling. The container opening can be reliably and tightly sealedusing simple means in order reliably to avoid contamination of thechemicals and, where appropriate, undesired contact of environmentallyhazardous chemicals with the environment. Very sensitive nutrientsolutions and highly pure liquids can also be transported from amanufacturer to a consumer using drum containers of this type and keptready there for removal. It must be possible to exclude contamination ofthe contents here, even under difficult transport and storageconditions.

However, it is regarded as a disadvantage that the container opening hasto be opened and provided with a multifunction adapter before possibleremoval of the liquid located in the container body. In contrast to thecontainer body, the multifunction adapter normally has a complex shape,meaning that the multifunction adapter can only be cleaned of chemicalresidues or other contaminants with difficulty. In addition, it cannotbe excluded that contamination of the liquid located in the containerbody by the environment or unintentionally by the consumer occurs afteropening of the container opening and before attachment and sealing ofthe multifunction adapter. Contamination is feared, in particular, inconnection with water-sensitive substances and solvents, which cannot beexcluded even on exclusive contact with humid ambient air.

A drum container as described, for example, in DE 20 2006 012 195 U1does not meet the standards established in practice and is also notsuitable as transport container for transport between a filling companyand a consuming company. Furthermore, this drum container has amultifunction adapter, meaning that the feared disadvantages inconnection with the use of a multifunction adapter cannot be avoided.

In addition, it has been found in practice that the sealing elementsused to seal the container opening become leaky with increasing useduration. Sporadically occurring deformations of the sealing elementsmean that contamination of the liquids located in the container bodyand, where appropriate, escape of possibly environmentally harmfulvapours can no longer be reliably prevented.

In a drum container of the generic type mentioned at the outset, asdescribed in DE 20 2006 005 890 U1, is neither intended nor suitable forthe transport and storage of a liquid. Projecting frames consist ofrubber, meaning that a liquid-filled drum container of this type isvirtually impossible to stack and transport safely owing to the weight.Substantial or complete removal of the liquid introduced into the drumcontainer during operation as water treatment agent is not possibleowing to the removal tube running immediately below the lid. The drumcontainer has no connections which are suitable for closed removal ofproducts and prevent contamination of a liquid located in the containerduring connection to supply and discharge lines. Re-use is not possiblewithout the replacement of components, in particular without a new sealfor the central container opening.

It is therefore regarded as an object of the present invention to designa drum container of the generic type mentioned at the outset which isable to retain the advantages outlined above on use of a drum containerof this type and can at the same time reliably prevent contamination ofthe contents of the drum container. It should be ensured here that theessential dimensions of the drum container are retained and theconnection devices necessary for handling are modified as little aspossible and in such a way that the drum container continues to meet thealready established standards and can be used by the end consumerwithout major modifications of his storage and connection devices, thussimplifying re-use.

This object is achieved in accordance with the invention in that a gassupply opening and a liquid removal opening are each arranged in the lidon the container body at a distance from the container opening and at adistance from one another, in that the gas supply opening has a fillingvalve and the liquid removal opening has a removal valve, and in thatthe annular lid frame projects beyond the filling valve and the removalvalve.

The filling of the container body can be carried out as before via thecontainer opening. However, this can subsequently be tightly sealed andno longer has to be opened before the liquid can be removed from thecontainer body again. Separate openings are provided for the supply ofthe propellant gas and the removal of the liquid located in thecontainer body. These openings can have a considerably smaller diameterthan the container opening, which advantageously has large dimensionsfor filling purposes. Since a separate opening is provided for the gassupply and for the liquid removal, the use of a multifunction adapter isno longer necessary. Simple valves which can be cleaned easily andreliably can be used.

In order to simplify handling of the drum container for the consumer andto position the gas supply opening and the liquid removal opening in areadily accessible manner, it is provided that the gas supply openingand the liquid removal opening are each arranged in the lid of thecontainer body.

The gas supply opening has a filling valve and the liquid removalopening has a removal valve. The filling valve may be designed in such away that escape of liquid located in the container body is prevented byan automatic sealing mechanism, and the filling valve allows exclusivelyfilling of the container body from the outside. The liquid removalopening can be sealed by means of a removal valve, which, on actuationof the removal valve, enables exclusively removal of the liquid locatedin the container body and prevents ingress of contaminants from theoutside into the container body.

The arrangement of the filling valve and removal valve in the lid notonly simplifies handling of them, but also enables a smaller spacerequirement. In contrast to the multifunction adapters or valves knownfrom practice, which are placed on the central filling opening andrequire space above this filling opening for arrangement and actuationthereof and for the associated connection lines, the filling valve andremoval valve can be designed to be small and space-saving and can beconnected to the associated connection lines.

In order to be able to design the drum container to be stackable and atthe same time to be able to protect the filling valves and removalvalves arranged in the region of the lid against damage, it is providedthat the drum container has an annular lid frame which projects beyondthe filling valve and beyond the removal valve. Handle holes may bearranged in the lid frame in order to simplify transport and handling ofthe drum container. The base of the drum container may be fitted with abase frame matched to the lid frame, which enables positive engagementinto the lid frame and thus simple and reliable stacking of a number ofdrum containers one above the other. The lid frame and, if present, abase frame consist of stainless steel, like the drum container.

The connection of the associated connection lines is significantlysimpler than the arrangement and sealing of a known multifunctionadapter. In contrast to the use of a multifunction adapter, theoperations necessary for removal of the liquid from the container bodydo not require direct access to the container body or the region of thefilling and removal opening, given a suitable design of the filling andremoval valves.

In order to simplify the connection of a drum container to theassociated connection lines for the filling of the container body withpropellant gas and for the removal of the liquid from the containerbody, it is provided that the filling valve or the removal valve in eachcase has a quick-fit coupling device, which opens the filling valve orthe removal valve when the filling valve or the removal valverespectively is connected to an associated connection line. Couplingdevices of this type for valves are known from practice. As soon as theassociated connection line is connected to the filling valve or theremoval valve using a quick-fit coupling device of this type, the valveis opened, and the supplied propellant gas or the liquid forced out ofthe container body is able to flow through the valve. Additional manualactuation of the respective valve is not necessary.

In order to be able to avoid contamination of the contents of the drumcontainer during connection of connection lines to the filling valve andin particular to the removal valve, it is provided that a filter deviceis arranged in the filling valve and/or in the removal valve. The filterdevice enables contamination of the contents of the drum container viacontaminated connection lines to be prevented. It is also possible topreventingress of contaminants or moisture into the interior of the drumcontainer during first connection of the drum container to theconnection lines provided at a consumer's premises or in the case oflater changeover via the gas supply opening or the liquid removalopening.

In view of the lowest possible production costs, it may be provided thatthe filling valve and the removal valve are essentially of the samedesign. Suitable valves which are equally suitable for liquid andgaseous fluids or can be adapted to different fluids through the use ofsuitable seals are known and commercially available. Valves of this typemay also be designed in such a way that the fluid can only flow throughthem in one direction in an opened state, while a fluid flowing in theopposite direction automatically seals the valve and flow through thevalve is thus prevented.

The filling valve and the removal valve may also have a different designin order to be matched as well as possible to the respective function.In addition, it may be advantageous for the connection devices of thefilling valve and the removal valve to have different designs in orderto be able reliably to prevent unintentional interchange of therespectively associated connection lines.

It is preferably provided that the liquid removal opening is connectedto one end of a dip tube, the other end of which opens into a region ofthe container body which is opposite the liquid removal opening. Withthe aid of the dip tube, it can be ensured that the liquid forced out ofthe container body is always, irrespective of the particular fill level,removed from the region within the container body into which the diptube opens or in which the dip tube ends and discharged through the diptube.

The liquid removal opening is advantageously arranged in the region ofthe lid of the container body, so that the end of the dip tube that isopposite the liquid removal opening opens out in the region of the baseof the container body, and liquid is removed from this region.

In order to achieve the most complete removal possible of the liquidfrom the container body, it is provided that the dip tube opens into acentrally arranged recess in the base of the container body. During theremoval of the liquid, a small residual amount, into which the dip tubeprojects, collects in the recess, whose diameter is smaller than thediameter of the drum container, so that liquid can continue to beremoved until the fill level in the recess also drops so far that itdrops below the opening of the dip tube.

Only when a liquid level in the container body drops as far as the baseregion or into the recess of the container body and virtually no liquidis present in the container body could propellant gas enter the dip tubethrough the then exposed opening of the dip tube and thereby interruptcontinuous liquid removal from the container body.

According to an embodiment of the inventive idea, it is provided thatthe container opening of the drum container can be sealed by means of alead seal. Immediately after the filling operation of the drum containerby the manufacturer, the filling opening can be tightly sealed andprovided with a lead seal. If the lead seal were damaged, manipulationof the contents of the drum container or contamination thereof could nolonger be excluded. By contrast, an undamaged lead seal is recognisedand documentable evidence that the filling opening has not been openedin the meantime and possibly re-sealed. For particularly safety-relevantapplications, it may additionally be provided that the gas supplyopening and the liquid removal opening or the filling valve and theremoval valve are also sealed by means of lead seals or by means of anoriginality closure, so that access to the liquid located in thecontainer body via these openings is also impossible until the leadseals or the closures are opened.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention which is depicted in thedrawing is explained in greater detail below, where:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a stainless-steel drum container,

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the stainless-steel drum container depictedin FIG. 1 and

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the drum container depicted in FIGS. 1and 2 along line III-III in FIG. 1.

A drum container 1 depicted by way of example in the figures has acylindrical container body 2. The cylindrical container body 2 has a lid3 and a base 4, which are produced in one piece together with acontainer wall 5 connecting the lid 3 to the base 4 and form thecontainer body 2.

A container opening 6 is arranged in the container body 2 centrally inthe lid 3. The diameter of the container opening 6 correspondsapproximately to ⅙ of the diameter of the cylindrical container body 2.The container body 2 can be filled simply and quickly through thecontainer opening 6 with a liquid or liquid chemical, which is notdepicted in the drawing. The container opening 6 is sealed in a filledstate of the container body 2 by means of a seal 7 in order to be ableto avoid contamination of the liquid located in the container body 2.

A gas supply opening 8 and a liquid removal opening 9 are arrangedopposite one another in the lid 3 laterally beside the container opening6. The diameter of the gas supply opening 8 and the liquid removalopening 9 is in each case considerably smaller than the diameter of thecontainer opening 6. The gas supply opening 8 is sealed by means of afilling valve 10, while the liquid removal opening 9 is sealed by meansof a removal valve 11. The filling valve 10 and the removal valve 11each have a coupling device 12, 13, with the aid of which the fillingvalve 10 or the removal valve 11 can be connected in a simple manner toan end piece, matched thereto, of an associated connection line.

When the filling valve 10 and the removal valve 11 are connected to theassociated connection lines, a propellant gas, such as, for example,carbon dioxide or nitrogen, can be forced into the container body 2 viathe gas supply opening 8 in order to allow liquid to exit from thecontainer body 2 on actuation or opening of the removal valve 11.

A dip tube 14 is connected at one end 15 to the liquid removal opening9. Another end 16 of the dip tube 14 which is opposite the first end 15opens into the region of the base 4 of the container body 2. Thepressurised liquid is able to enter the dip tube 14 via an entry opening17, which is located immediately above the base 4, and exit through theliquid removal opening 9 or the removal valve 11. If the drum container1 is stored vertically, it is ensured, via the dip tube 14, thatuninterrupted or undisturbed removal of liquid from the container body 2is possible until a liquid level in the container body 2 has dropped sofar that the entry opening 17 is no longer covered by the liquid, andpropellant gas is able to escape. The container body 2 has then beenvery substantially emptied and can subsequently be cleaned andre-filled.

In order to simplify handling of the drum container 1 and to protect thefilling valve 10 and the removal valve 11 against damage, the drumcontainer 1 has an annular lid frame 18, which projects in the extensionof the container wall 5, and a base frame 19, which is matched to thelid frame. The base frame 19 has an annular rim 20 projecting downwards,which is offset to the inside. This rim 20 serves on the one hand togive the drum container 1 a reliable and tilt-proof standing surface. Onthe other hand, the shape of the rim 20 or the base frame 19 is matchedto the shape of the lid frame 18, so that the base frame 19 engages witha lid frame 18 of a drum container 1 arranged beneath and simplifiesreliable stacking of a number of drum containers 1 one above the other.In order also to simplify handling, the lid frame has an oval handlehole 21 in each of two opposite regions.

The drum container 1 is essentially made completely of stainless steel.Stainless steel is resistant to many liquid chemicals and can be cleanedeasily and without leaving a residue. A drum container 1 made ofstainless steel can be designed to be sufficiently mechanically stableto be able to withstand the mechanical loads occurring in accordancewith experience during transport and during storage thereof withoutdamage and can be designed to be sufficiently pressure-resistant to beable to withstand pressurisation during the removal of the liquidlocated in the container body 2.

The dimensions of the drum container 1 or of the container body 2 can bematched to the liquid volumes provided in each case which are intendedto be possible to introduce into the container body 2. Thus, forexample, drum containers 1 having a capacity of 5 l or of 10 l, but alsoof 20 l, 50 l or 185 l, are conceivable. If it appears advantageous,smaller or considerably larger volumes may in each case also beprovided.

1. Stainless-steel drum container for the transport, storage andkeeping-ready of liquids, in particular of liquid chemicals, having acylindrical container body, which has a lid and a base, and having acontainer opening arranged centrally in the lid, where the drumcontainer has an annular lid frame which projects beyond the containeropening, characterised in that a gas supply opening (8) and a liquidremoval opening (9) are each arranged in the lid (3) on the containerbody (2) at a distance from the container opening (6) and at a distancefrom one another, in that the gas supply opening (8) has a filling valve(10) and the liquid removal opening (9) has a removal valve (11), and inthat the annular lid frame (18) projects beyond the filling valve (10)and the removal valve (11).
 2. Drum container according to claim 1,characterised in that the filling valve (10) and the removal valve (11)each have a quick-fit coupling device, which opens the filling valve(10) or the removal valve (11) when the filling valve (10) or theremoval valve (11) respectively is connected to an associated connectionline.
 3. Drum container according to claim 1, characterised in that afilter device is arranged in the filling valve (10) and/or in theremoval valve (11).
 4. Drum container according to claim 1,characterised in that the filling valve (10) and the removal valve (11)are essentially of the same design.
 5. Drum container according to claim1, characterised in that the filling valve (10) or the removal valve(11) has a coupling device (13, 14), which opens the filling valve (10)or the removal valve (11) when the filling valve (10) or the removalvalve (11) respectively is connected to an associated connection line.6. Drum container according to claim 1, characterised in that the liquidremoval opening (9) is connected to a first end (15) of a dip tube (14),the other end (16) of which opens into a region of the container body(2) which is opposite the liquid removal opening (9).
 7. Drum containeraccording to claim 6, characterised in that the dip tube (14) opens intoa centrally arranged recess (17) in the base (4) of the container body(2).
 8. Drum container according to claim 1, characterised in that thecontainer opening (6) of the drum container (1) can be sealed by meansof a lead seal.